Cut Chemist

You may know him as the guy who spins the turntables in the LA-based multi-ethnic band Ozomatli or perhaps you know him as the guy who spins the turntables in the LA-based rap combo Jurassic 5. Or, maybe you just don't know him. You should, though. Whereas a DJ simply plays records more or less straight, there's a whole 'nother crowd of folks (including Cut Chemist) who earn the title 'turntablist' by taking a more active role - using turntables as instruments to create music, blending sounds together, scratching the record back and forth to alter beats and create new sounds. It takes a lot of talent to do it right, and Cut Chemist is among the best out there. If you missed the whirlwind 'Brainfreeze' and 'Product Placement' tours that he did with DJ Shadow, where they spun oodles of old funk 45's together - now you have the opportunity to make up for lost time and catch him solo.